Ruslan ZakirovCommunity profile

Chef Ruslan Zakirov is the head chef at several establishments in St. Petersburg, including Kuznyahouse, Kuznya Cafe (the city's only chef's table restaurant, HIDDEN, and CRUISE by Kuznyahouse. He has previously worked as a head chef at "DvorDzen," "Kvartira Kosti Kroytza," and Polet Cafe. He also opened the F&B Boutique Hotel Makanda in Costa Rica.

Ruslan holds two higher education degrees: one in engineering and the other in marketing. His technical background is reflected in the precise structuring of ingredients in each dish and in his skillful balancing of flavor and health benefits.

In his work, Ruslan adheres to the principles of pure taste, health, and aesthetics, drawing inspiration from the Japanese tradition of gastronomic minimalism and the latest trends in conscious eating.

At Kuznyahouse, Ruslan focuses on simple and healthy food made from local and seasonal ingredients. He divides the year into six seasons: winter, spring, early summer, mid-summer, late summer, and autumn. Based on this, he has created a seasonality chart for products from Russia and neighboring countries, according to which he updates the restaurant's menu every two months.

At HIDDEN, they regularly host dinners with guest chefs, where large portions of simple, understandable food are prepared and served using traditional slow-cooking techniques. The focus is on products that the chefs themselves select for their dinner, based on the principle of "for myself/friends."

On CRUISE by Kuznyahouse, Ruslan Zakirov prepares snacks for cruise passengers in a "marine" style, maintaining his signature authorial twist and comfort food format. The focus is on seasonal products, local fish, vegetables, and herbs.